AFC Leopards and Ulinzi Stars match abandoned
The match between AFC Leopards and Ulinzi Stars at the Mumias Sports Complex Saturday evening was abandoned in the 80th minute due to hooliganism.
AFC Leopards fans threw projectiles into the pitch contesting a penalty awarded to Ulinzi.
Ulinzi’s midfielder Churchill Muloma had been brought down inside the box by defender Ramadhan Mohammed and referee Andrew Juma pointed straight to the spot. Ingwe fans did not take the decision lightly, as they stormed the pitch and bitterly objected the penalty to be taken.
Both had earlier scored from the spot with Kepha Aswani scoring for Ingwe and John Mark Makwatta for the soldiers.
One of the AFC stewards reportedly attacked the referee physically. Ingwe’s head coach Ivan Minnaert and their players tried to calm their fans in vain.
Police, under the command of Mumias OCS Boniface Mutie, were forced to whisk away the match officials after the fans refused to calm down. The referee called off the match over security fears.
“It is uncalled for and quite against what we are trying to do now as KPL to eradicate hooliganism. We will await the report of the match commissioner on what transpired in Mumias and make a decision. Ulinzi will be awarded the match after we receive the reports. The issue will also go to the disciplinary committee from where further sanctions on AFC will be decided on,” KPL Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda said
In other matches
Chemelil Sugar edged out Ushuru 1-0 with Hillary Echesa’s 16th minute goal at the Chemelil Complex while in a 1400hrs kick off at the Mumias Complex, Kakamega Homeboyz continued with their fine-home-run beating visiting Thika United 2-1.
In Nairobi, Gor Mahia’s main goal poacher, Jacques Tuyisenge struck in the 87th minute to hand the defending champions a 1-0 win over Sony Sugar while Jimmy Bageya missed a penalty with just three minutes left for a final whistle as Nairobi City Stars fell 1-0 to Sofapaka.
Barnabas Tiema flicked a header into Victor Odhiambo’s net to hand Sofapaka their first win in nine matches.
At Moi Stadium in Kisumu, Fredrick Nyarombo and Baron Oketch scored one apiece as Western Stima thrashed visiting Bandari 2-0.